Car dumping apparatus



March 1957 'A. e. HAGUE ETAL 2,786,586

CAR DUMPING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2. 1953 m QW mm M .NN mil Mamh 1957 A. G. HAGUE ETAL I 2,786,586

CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2, 1953 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. G. HAGUE EIAL CAR DUMPING APPARATUS March 26, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 2, 1953 Man}! 2 7 A. c5. HAGUE ETAL CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Se t 2. 19s:

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Alfred G. Hague, Des Moines, and Halver R. Straight, Adel, Iowa; May E. Hague, executrix of the estate of said Alfred G. Hague, deceased Application September 2, 1953, Serial No. 378,037

16 Claims. (Cl. 214-46.3)

Our invention relates to improvements in car unloaders and more especially to those of the kind adapted to unload railway box cars containing grain or similar material after one of the side doors have been opened by means not herewith illustrated, as it forms no part of this invention. The material being caused to flow through the side door by first tilting the car transversely to permit some of the material to flow outwardly by gravity to a suitable receiving hopper, also not illustrated, the material being further discharged by rocking the car about a transverse and central pivot. The rocking movement being accomplished by elevating the last said pivot vertically and at the same time holding either one of the ends of the car against upward movement, the last said holding means being located preferably some distance between the end and said transverse pivot and substantially near the ground level, to permit the outer end of the car to swing downwardly into a shallow pit and the free end to be elevated above the ground surface sufiicient to provide an inclination of the car to permit the material to flow downwardly toward the open door (substantially an angle of 45 relative to the ground surface), whereby the desired inclination may be accomplished with a comparatively shallow pit and a comparatively short lifting movement of the transverse pivot.

An object of our invention is to provide in a car unloader, or dumper, of the type above described, an improved lift consisting of a single vertically arranged hydraulic cylinder imbedded permanently in the ground with its upper end terminating near the floor of the pit and having a vertically movable piston therein with improved means for pivotally mounting the car supporting cradle on-the upper end of the piston to permit limited transverse tilting movement of the cradle and also limited longitudinal rocking movement of the cradle.

- A further object of our invention is to provide in a car dumper of the type above described, improved cradle construction adapted to be tilted about a longitudinal axis and rocked about a transverse axis, improved means actuated by a vertically movable means wherein the cradle will first be tilted transversely, and secondly rocked longitudinally by continuous upwardly lifting movement of the cradle lift.

- A further object of our invention is to provide improved means for controlling the elevating and lowering movement of the cradle to avoid damage by shock,

as" the cradle is lowered to its normal horizontal position and further to avoid accidental movement of the control valves.

An object of our invention is to provide a car dumper of comparatively simple and durable construction, which is 'easy to operate and in which the possibility of error of the operating controls, by the operator, are eliminated.

Our invention consists 'in the construction, arrange- 2,786,586 Patented Mar. 26, 1957 hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved car dumper supported in its normal horizontal position with the pit in which it is mounted shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a reduced sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the supporting cradle in its elevated and inclined positions.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3 with the pit in section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, showing the cradle in its transverse inclined position.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 Fig. 2 illustrating the manner that the cradle is supported in its normal horizontal position.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the holddown track devices and its lock with the lock operating cylinder in section. I

Fig. 9 is a detail end elevation of said hold-down with the lock moved to-operative position.

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1010 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view of the system for controlling the movement of the cradle.

Fig. 12 is a detail side elevation of the control locking mechanism.

Fig. 13 is a top view of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a detailed vertical sectional view of the automatic control valve.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken on the line 15-15 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of the three-way valve.

Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the four-way valve.

Our improved car dumping apparatus comprises a car supporting cradle 10, a pit 11 for receiving the cradle when in normal horizontal position, a hydraulic lift piston 12 slidably mounted in a cylinder 13 permanently imbedded in the floor 14, means 16 for pivotally mounting the central portion of the cradle to the upper end of piston 12 and hold-down means 17 mounted near each end of the cradle adapted to be operativelyconnected to either end of the cradle to'p'ermit the opposite end of the cradle to be elevated as the piston 12 is elevated.

The cradle 10 is preferably formed of fabricated sheet metal and rectangular in cross section, comprising side members 18 and 19 a top 21 and a bottom 22 the cen tral portion of the bottom 22 having an opening 23 and end members 24. The central portion of the side 19 is provided with a vertical slot 26 each vertical edge of which has a face plate 27 the upper ends of which terminate in a bearing plate 28, the plate 18 is provided with a short slot 29. Each of the side members 18 and 19 is provided with a pair of supporting brackets 31 and 32 adapted to rest on plates 33 and 34, or rollers, carried by the pilasters 36, 37, 38, and 39 of the walls of the pit 11 (see Figs. 2 and 7) when the cradle is in its normal horizontal position these brackets being located from the ends of the cradle a distance substantially equal to one-third of the length of the cradle for reasons hereinafter made clear.

For elevating the cradle we have provided the following mechanism: Mounted in the central portion of the pit floor is the vertical hydraulic cylinder 13 preferably set in a casing of cement and having a supply pipe 42 connected to its lower end. The piston 12 is slidably mounted in the upper end of the cylinder 13 having a beam '16 upright pedestals 46, 47 and 48 supporting shaft bearings 49, 51, and 52 on their upper ends respectively, the pedestals 47 and 48 projecting upwardly through the opening 23 in the bottom member 22. A shaft 53 is mounted in the bearings 49, 51, and 52 and through the slots 26 and 29 with one end of the shaft 53 pivotally mounted between bracket members 54 secured to the side member 18 by means of a pin 56 to permit the cradle to tilt transversely, as illustrated in Fig. 6, with the plate 28 resting on the shaft 53, the cradle is also permitted to rock in a longitudinal plane by pivoting the shaft 53 in the bearings 49, 51, and 52.

Mounted in the side members 18 and 19 near one end of the cradle we have provided a shaft 57 and near the other end a shaft 58, said shafts projecting throw 1 the cradle in transverse planes and at an angle of substantially relative to the top and bottom members of the cradle and in a plane common to the shaft 53 when the cradle is in the tilted position shown in Fig. 6. The ends of the shafts projecting through the side 19 are each. provided with a flanged wheel 59, the opposite end of the shafts being provided with a wheel 61, each having a double flange. The said wheels 59 and 61 being adapted to travel in horizontal guides whereby either end of the cradle may be held against upward or downward movement as the central portion of the cradle is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 3.

In as much as the greater part of the load is carried by the wheels 59 when the cradle is in its tilted positions a different track arrangement is provided for the wheels 57 than for the wheels 61.

We will first describe the track arrangement for the wheels 57 which comprises a horizontal track bar 62 (see Fig. 8) having its upper surface fiat and of a length equal to the amount of horizontal travel of the Wheel supported thereon, each end of the track portion 62 terminating in a short journal 63 slightly off-set from the bar 62 with the center of the journals in alinement with the top surface of the bar 62 as illustrated in Pig. 8. The inner ends of the journals 63 being adapted to pivotally support a track yoke 64 having on its under surface a flat portion to engage the top of the wheel 59 when in place on the track portion 62. The downwardly extending ends 65 being pivotally mounted on the inner ends of the journals to permit the track portion 64- to be moved transversely to position to one side of the wheel 59 as shown in Fig. 6, to permit the wheel 59 to be moved vertically out of contact with the track 62. The outer ends of the journals 63 being mounted in bearing blocks 66 mounted on shelves or pilasters 67 forming a part of the pit walls. For operating the yoke 64 we have provided the outer end of the track portion 62 with a laterally extending arm 68 the outer end of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of a hydraulic cylinder 69 having a piston 79 and a piston rod 72. The upper end of the rod 72 being pivotally connected to an arm 73 projecting from the top track bar 61, the cylinder being provided with inlet and outlet pipes 74 and '75 to be connected to a control system hereinafter to be described, wherein fluid entering the pipe 74 to the bottom end of the piston will cause it to be elevated to swing the yoke 64 to position above its corresponding wheel 59. The yoke may be returned by fluid entering the top end or the cylinder through the pipe 75. The journals 63 and the bearings 66 provide means whereby the track surfaces of. the members 62 and 64 may be tilted to follow the co acting surfaces of the wheels when said wheels are in any of their inclined positions, as in Figs. 5, 6, and 9.

Spaced and parallel track members 76 and 77 are pro= vided for the wheels 61 mounted in a recess 78 formed in the pilasters 79 forming a part of the pit wall (see Figs. 2, 5, and 6), the space between the tracks 76 and 77 is in alinement with the wheels 61 when the cradle is in its horizontal tilted position, illustrated in Fig. 6

and 2, the wheels being designed to enter said space after the cradle has been elevated to the position shown in Fig. 6 and at the same time the corresponding wheel 59 travels inwardly on the track 62, thus providing means for stabilizing the elevated free end of the cradle when in its inclined dumping position as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Each end of the cradle is provided with a clamp member 79 to clamp the car 81 in position on the cradle against longitudinal movement. These clamps form no part of our invention. I

A brief operation of our device is as follows: Assuming that the cradle is in its normal horizontal position as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7 and that the railway car 81 has been moved into position on the rails 82 and locked in position thereon by the clamps 79, and that one of the too yokes 64 is in its unlocked position as illustrated in he operating fluid, which is preferably oil, is then admitted to the lower end of the piston 12 by means hereinafter to be described, the piston will then be slowly elevated and with it the shaft 53, which is rigidly supported in a horizontal position, the side 18 of the cradle will then be elevated by the pivot pin 56 from the position illustrated in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6, with the ends of the brackets 31 and 32 carried by the side 19 resting on the plates 33 and 34. The wheels 61 will then be alined with the space between the tracks 76 and 77, at this point the elevation of the piston is temporarily stopped, at this time one of the locking yokes is moved into operative position above the corresponding wheel 59 by fluid entering the lower end of the cylinder 69. The piston 12 is at this time again elevated causing the central portion and the free end of the cradle to be elevated to the position shown in Fig. 1. At the same time the wheels 59 will travel horizontally between the tracks 62 and 64. The wheels 61 will simultaneously enter the space between the tracks 76 and 77. When the cradle and the car 81 have reached their maximum inclined position the grain in the upper end of the car will flow out through the door $3, the cradle and car may then be lowered to a horizontal position with the car still in a tilted position, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the locking yoke may then be moved to an open position and the other locking yoke 64 moved into locking position. The piston 12 may then again be elevated to cause the cradle and car to be rocked or inclined in the opposite direction. After the upper end of the car has been emptied, it is again lowered to its normal horizontal position illustrated in Fig. 5, with the cradle resting firmly on the plates 33 as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the ends of the cradle are locked by mechanism not illustrated as said mechanism forms no part of the present invention.

The means for controlling the operation of the dumping device will now be described. Referring to Figs. 11 to 17 inclusively we have used the numeral 86 to indicate the storage tank for the hydraulic fluid, preferably oil, 87 indicates the pump, the control panel and 89 the automatic valve mechanism. (See Fig. 14.) The said valve mechanism comprises a casing 91) preferably supported in the pit floor near the cylinder 13, pipe 91 operatively connects the lower end of the casing 90 with a three way valve 92. The upper end of the casing is operatively connected to the lower end of the cylinder 13 by the pipe 42. The central portion of the casing 91) is provided with a restriction sleeve 94 to serve as a valve seat. The ends of the casing 99 are provided with threaded plugs 96 and 97, the plug 97 has a packing gland 953 and a slidable valve rod 99, the lower end of the valve 168 being pointed while that portion above the pointed end being contracted as shown in Fig.1 14, the upper end of the pointed end 101 being slightly less in diameter than the inner surface of the sleeve 94. The upper end of the rod 99 is mounted in a cross head 102 which in turn is slidably mounted on guide rods 103. A pulley 10 is mounted on the upper end of the rods 103 to support a cable 105 one end of which is conhected to the head 102 and the other'end to a weight 106 for normally retaining the valve 100 to its upper posltlon of movement. The head 102 is provided with a 11011- zontally projecting pin 107 adapted to be engaged by the member 16 as it is lowered to force the valve 100 downwardly as the cradle is lowered from its dumping pos tion to its normal horizontal position. The pm 107 s engaged at the time the cradle is near its horizontal position to cause the pointed end of the valve 100 to enter the sleeve 94, to progressively close the passage between the valve and said sleeve, to automatically reduce the speed of the downward movement of the cradle at the time the enlarged portion of the valve is in the sleeve and at the time the cradle reaches its horizontal position and still in its tilted position, as shown in Fig. 6, glving the operator time to completely close the three way valve 92.

Mounted on the panel 80 are threeand four way valves. The three way valve 92 and the four way valve 108 are mounted on the panel 80, the valve 92 having an inlet pipe 109 connected to the'pump 87 and exhaust pipe 111 leading to the tank 86, the innerend of the valve 92 is provided with a shaft 112 mounted in a bearing 113 supported by the panel 80. Mounted on the outer end of the shaft 112 is a flanged disc 114, the flange 116 of said disc having a notch 117 to permit one edge of the slide bar 118 to pass therethrough when the valve 92 is in a closed position, the outer end of the valve 92 is provided with an operating handle 119.

The four way valve 108 is also mounted on the panel 80 by a shaft 121 having an arm 122 mounted on its inner end having its free end projecting through a slot 123 in the bar 118 (see Fig. 15). The inner end of the valve 108 is provided with a control handle 124. The valve 188 has a pipe 125 connected to the pipe 75 and a pipe 126 connected to the pipe 74, also a pipe 127 connected to the pipe 109 and a pipe 128 connected to the exhaust pipe 111.

The panel 30 is also provided with a bracket 129 rotatably supporting a cable drum 131. The inner face of the drum 131 is provided with a flanged disc 132, the flange of which has a notch 130 to allow the passage of the back edge of the slide bar 118 to pass therethrough when the drum 131 is in a predetermined position of its movement. The bar 118 is provided with contracted portions 133 to slide in bearings 134 supported by the panel 80.

The back edge of the bar 118 has a notch 135 and a shoulder 136 while its front edge is provided with notches 137 and 138 through which the flanges 116 and 132 may rotate when the slide bar is in certain predetermined positions of movement. g v

The drum 131 is provided with a cable 139 mounted to pass over pulleys 141, 142, and 143 mounted to provide a vertical run 144 of a length greater than the vertical movement of the piston 12, a portion of the run 34 is operatively connected to the member 16 by means of a bar 145 so that as the piston is elevated and lowered the drum 131 will be oscillated, preferably slightly less than one revolution, and with it the flange 132 so that the slide bar 118 can only be operated at the time the notch 130 is in alinement with bar 118 and at the time the cradle is in horizontal tilted position shown in Fig. 6, at which time the four way valve 108 may beoperated to cause the locking yokes to be operated to move one of them to closed position and the other to open position. Thus providing a safety means whereby the-chance of having both ends of the cradle locked or unlocked at the same time is eliminated, since the bar 118 is only operated by the adjustment or" the valve 108 and the arm 122 with either one of the notches 135 or 136 in position to permit the flange 132 to rotate, theubar 118 114 is in alinement with the forward edge of said bar can be operated only when the notch ll'l'ofthel flange."

118 and at "the time when the valve 92 is in a closed position. Thus is provided means for preventing accidental operation of the locking yokes at any time except when the cradle is in its horizontal tilted position, with the wheels 61 in alinement with the space between the tracks 76 and 77 and at the time the'enlarged portion of the valve is in the sleeve 94.

The flange 132 and the member 134 are provided with indices 148 to provide remote visible means whereby the operator may know when the cradle has moved to its horizontal tilted position of movement.

The complete operation of our car dumping apparatus is as follows: Assuming that the cradle is in its normal horizontal position with the car 81 supported thereon and locked against longitudinal movement by the clamps 79 with the brackets 31 and 32 firmly resting on the plates 33 and 34 as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7, and also that the left locking yoke 64 is closed and the right one open, and that the pump 87 is being operated to apply pressure to the pipes 109 and 127 with the three wayvalve 92 closed, as shown in Fig. 16, with the valve 108'- open, as shown in Fig. 17, allowing pressure to be applied. to pipes 126 and 74 and to the under side of piston 70 to maintain said piston in an elevated position and the; yoke locked to its closed position with the pipes 75 and' in exhausted condition and communicating with pipes; 128 and 111, any excess oil from the pump passing back to the tank 86 through the by-pass pipe 146 and the relief valve 147, and with the valve 100 at its lower position of movement, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 14.

It is now desired to tilt the cradle and car transversely to the position shown in Fig. 6 and simultaneously open the car door, by mechanism not shown. This operation is accomplished by grasping the handle 119 and rotating it anti-clockwise, to communicate the pipes 109 and 91 and close pipe 111, oil will then move through pipes 91 to the bottom of casing 90 thence upwardly through the 1 restricted passage 94 between the upper end of the valve- 101) and the sleeve 94 allowing oil to enter the under side r 0f the piston 12 causing said piston to be slowly elevated" and with it the shaft 53, the member 16 and in turn the pin 107, also the rod 99 and the valve 100 with acceleratedif speed as the contracted portion of the valve 100 ap-- preaches the sleeve 94 and again slowing down, as the-r upper end of the point 101 enters the sleeve 94 and as the cradle reaches'its maximum tilted position in Fig. 8. As; the piston 12 is elevated, the cable portion 144 is alsoi elevated and the drum 131 rotated clock-wise and Withz it the flange 132 through the notch 136 of the bar 118 until the notch is opposite the bar 118 and the indices: opposite each other, the valve 92 may at this time be: closed to lock the cradle in said inclined position to allow/ time for a certain amount of the material in the car'to When the car has been sufliciently emptied, the handle 119 may again be rotated anti-clockwise with pipes 109 and 91 again communicated and the piston elevated, with the valve 100 also being elevated with the 92 is atthat time again closed to lock the piston 12 in its horizontal inclined position. The slide bar 113 may now be operated by the handle 124 and the valve 92 can to reverse the locking yokes 64, after which the valve 92 can again be moved to opened position and the opposite end of the cradle elevated as before described.

The valve 92 may then be moved to exhaust position and the cradle allowed-to automatically descend to its normal horizontal position, the speed being automatically slowed down as the cradle reaches its horizontal tilted position and the cradle and car slowly returned to their normal positions.

Thus it will be seen that we have invented an improved car unloader of simple and durable construction in which a deep and expensive pit is eliminated that may be installed in locations where water and gravel would be encountered, the depth of our pit being substantially equal to that'required for the grain hopper for receiving the grain dumped from the car. A further advantage in our improved construction resides in the use of u comparatively short piston movement for elevating the cradle which is accomplished by placing the piston under the central portion of the cradle and providing means for holding down one of the ends of the cradle as the central portion is elevated. Another advantage of our improved construction is in the use of a single cradle construction wherein an extra tiltable cradle is eliminated by our means for imparting limited universal movement to the cradle where it is connected to the upper end of the piston. A further advantage of our improved construction resides in our means for controlling the raising and lowering movement of the cradle and the locking devices used in connection therewith, wherein the raising and lowering speeds are accelerated to avoid accidental shock.

We claim:

1. In a car dumper, a car supporting cradle, means detachably supporting the cradle in a normal horizontal position, a pivot member mounted on said cradle near each of its end, a vertically movable lift device substantially beneath the longitudinal center of said cradle, means pivotally connecting the upper end of said lift to said cradle to first tilt the cradle transversely as said lift is elevated and second to rock it in a longitudinal plane as the lift is further elevated, and means adapted to hold either of the pivot members against vertical movement as the central portion of the cradle and its free end is elevated by said lift.

2. in a car dumping apparatus, a car supporting cradle, a vertically movable lift device, means carried by said lift device pivotally supporting the cradle at a point near its center to permit the cradle to rock longitudinally as the lift is elevated, coacting track and pivot means for temporarily holding one of the ends of said cradle against upward and downward movement as the cradle is elevated, said means comprising a trunnion supported laterally from one side of said cradle near one end, a guide for said trunnion, comprising, a lower track section adapted to support said trunnion, an upper track section pivotally supported to rest normally out of engagement with said trunnion and to swing transversely to operative position above said trunnion to lock it against upward movement, means for moving the top track section to position above said trunnion and means for pivoting the lower track section to swing about its longitudinal axis.

3. in a car dumper apparatus, a car supporting cradle, means for detachably supporting the cradle normally in a horizontal position, a vertically movable lift device, means carried by said lift device pivotally supporting the cradle at a point substantially midway between its ends, to permit the cradle to tilt transversely and rock longitudinally as the lift is elevated, means for temporarily holding either one of the ends of said cradle against upward and downward movement as the cradle is elevated, said means comprising a trunnion supported laterally from one side of said cradle near each end and; a guide for said trunnion, comprising, a lower track section adapted to support said trunnion, an upper track section pivotally supported to rest normally out of engagement with said trunnionl and to swing transversely to operative position above said trunnion, to lock it against upward movement, and means for moving the top track section to position above said trunnion.

; 4. in a car dumping apparatus including a fabricated cradle having sides, with one of said sides being provided with a, vertical slot midway between its ends, means car ried by the sides of said cradle deachably supporting the cradle in a normal horizontal position, a shaft mounted in said slot, means pivoting one end of said shaft to its corresponding side member, a vertical and movable piston beneath said shaft, means pivotally and horizontally mounting the shaft to the upper end of said piston, whereby the pivoted side of said cradle will be elevated y the initial upward movement of said piston with the or edge f the unpivoted side of said cradle resting on corresponding cradle support, with the top end of the slot of the last side member resting on said shaft with the cradle inclined transversely to the horizontal, and slidably and pivotally mounted means for holding either one of the ends of said cradle against upward or downward movement as the piston, the central portion of said cradle, and its free ends are further elevated.

' 5. A car dumper mounted in a railway road bed including separated track sections and a shallow pit between said track sections, including cradle supporting pilnsters, a car supporting cradle between said pilastcrs, brackets carried by said cradle detachably resting on said pilasters, to support the cradle with its rails in alinement with the rails of said track sections, a vertically movable lift device mounted below the longitudinal center of said cradle, means for pivotally connecting the upper end of said lift deviceto one side of said cradle to tilt the cradle transversely as the lift is initially elevated with the weight of the lower side of the cradle carried by its corresponding brackets, means supported by the upper end of said piston mounting the cradle to rock in a longitudinal vertical plane, coacting pivot and guide means mounted on one side of each end of said cradle for pivotally restraining either end of the cradle against upward or downward movement and means for causing either one of said pivot and guide means to become inoperative.

6. A car dumping apparatus comprising an elongated car supporting cradle, a pit for receiving said cradle, means intermediate the ends of said cradle, for supporting the cradle in a normal horizontal position, a hydraulic cylinder mounted vertically in the floor of said pit and beneath the longitudinal center of said cradle, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder to move vertically, means for pivotally. connecting one side of the central portion of said cradle to the upper end of said piston to cause the cradle to be tilted transversely by the initial upward movement of said piston relative to the horizontal, means for connecting the upper end of said piston to the central portion of said cradle to permit the cradle to rock in a longitudinal plane, hold-down pivots projecting laterally of one side of said cradle intermediate its ends and central portion, said hold-down pivots being in horizontal and transverse alinement when the cradle is'in its transverse tilted position, a horizontal and longitudinally arranged hold-down guide for each of said hold-down pivots, a hold-down lock for one of said hold-down pivots, one of which is normally in inoperative position, and means for moving said lock into operative position, whereby the locked pivot and the corresponding end of said cradle will be held against upward or downward movement as the central portion of the cradle and its free end are elevated by said piston.

7. In a car dumping apparatus, a car supporting cradle, means for detachably supporting the cradle normally in a horizontal position, a vertically movable lift device, means carried by said lift device for pivotally supporting the cradle at a point midway between its ends, to first tiltthe cradle transversely and second to permit it to rock longitudinally as the lift is elevated, and means for holding either one of the ends of'said cradle against upward and downward movement as the lift is elevated, the'last said means comprising, atrunnion supported laterally fi'om each sidenf said'cradle and near each of its ends, a roller on each trunnion, a horizontal roller guide for each of the rollers on the upper side of said cradle when in its transverse inclined position with the roller normally out of its respective guide when the cradle is in a horizontal position, a roller guide for each of the rollers on the lower side of the cradle comprising, a lower track section adapted to support said roller, an upper track section pivotally supported to rest normally to one side of said roller and to swing transversely to position above said roller, means for 'moving the top track section 1to position above said roller and means for pivoting the lower track section to swing about its longitudinal axis.

8. In a car dumping apparatus, a car supporting cradle, means for detachably supporting the cradle normally in a horizontal position, a vertically movable lift device, means carried by said lift device for pivotally supporting the cradle at a point midway between its ends, to first tilt the cradle transversely and second, to cause it to rock longitudinally as the lift is elevated, and means for holding either one of the ends of said cradle against upward and downward movement as the lift is elevated, said means comprising a trunnion supported laterally from one side of said cradle and intermediate each end and the longitudinal center of said cradle, a roller on each trunnion, a roller guide comprising a lower track section adapted to support said roller, an upper track section pivotally supported to rest normally to one side of said roller and to swing transversely to position above said roller to lock it against upward movement, means for moving the top track section to position above said roller and means pivoting the lower track section to swing about its longitudinal axis.

9. In a car dumper, a car supporting cradle, a vertically arranged hydraulic cylinder and piston, means for mounting the central portion of the cradle to the upper end of the piston for limited longitudinal rocking movement, whereby the cradle will be first tilted transversely by the initial upward movement of said piston, and afterwards rocked longitudinally upon further upward movement of said piston, controlled means for applying lifting fluid to the under side of said piston under pressure, means included in said controlled means, actuated by the movement of said piston, for automatically increasing and decreasing the speed of the tilting movement of said cradle produced by the initial upward movement of said piston, and also to accelerate the initial and final rocking movement of said cradle.

10. In a car dumper, a car supporting cradle, means for detachably supporting the cradle normally in a horizontal position, a vertically movable hydraulic lift piston, means pivotally mounting the upper end of the piston to the central portion of the cradle to permit the cradle to rock in a longitudinal vertical plane, hold-down pivot means fixing the cradle near one end, horizontal track devices for guiding the pivot devices horizontally against vertical movement as the piston and cradle are elevated, said track devices including locking and unlocking means whereby one of the pivots may be locked against vertical movement with the other pivot free to move vertically, a fluid pressure means including a first valve to control the vertical movement of said lift piston, a fluid pressure means including a second valve for controlling the flow of fluid to alternately and simultaneously actuate said locking and unlocking means, means normally locking the second valve in either of one or two operative positions, means actuated by the second valve for temporarily locking the first valve in closed position while the second valve is being operated and means actuated by the move ment of the piston for locking and unlocking the second valve.

11. A structure as specified in claim 10, said means including remote controlled indices operated by the movement of said lift piston to indicate to the operator when 10 the cradle is in a predetermined position of its elevated position of movement.

12.. In a car dumper, a car supporting cradle, a vertically arranged hydraulic cylinder, a piston slidably mounted therein, means pivotally mounting the central portion of the cradle to the upper end of said piston, means for holding either end of said cradle against upward movement as the piston and the free end of the cradle are elevated, fluid pressure means for lifting said piston including pipes for conducting fluid under pressure to said piston, said pipes including a hand control valve, and a valve means for automatic operation, said valve means comprising an elongated casing having a restrictive passage intermediate its ends, an elongated valve mounted to pass through said passage, the diameter of said valve varying throughout that portion of its length moving through said restrictive passage, and means actuated by the movement of said piston for moving the valve through said restrictive passage as fluid flows through said passage to and from said piston.

13. In a car dumping apparatus including hydraulically operated instrumentalities, the combination of primary and secondary pistons, fluid pressure instrumentalities for operating said pistons, including a valve for controlling the movement of the primary piston, a second valve for controlling the movement of the secondary piston, means for locking said valves against accidental operation, comprising a supporting panel having slidably mounted thereon a locking bar including a pair of locking notches in one edge and a second pair of locking notches in its opposite edge, means actuated by the movement of the second control valve for actuating said slide bar, a locking flange operated by the movement of the first valve to move through either one of the first said notches, the said first locking flange having a notch for receiving the locking bar when the first valve is in a certain predetermined position of its movement, and a second locking flange adapted to operate through either one of the second pair of notches of said locking bar, said second locking flange having a notch for receiving the locking bar when the primary piston is in a predetermined position of its movement.

14. In a car dumping apparatus, a car supporting cradle, a vertically movable lift device, means carried by said lift device pivotally supporting the cradle at a point near its center to permit the cradle to rock longitudinally as the lift is elevated, coacting track and pivot means for temporarily holding one of the ends of said cradle against upward and downward movement as the cradle is elevated, said means comprising a trunnion supported laterally from one one side of said cradle near one end, a guide for said trunnion, comprising, a lower track section adapted to movably support said trunnion, an upper track section pivotally supported to rest normally out of engagement with said trunnion and to swing transversely to operative position above said trunnion to lock it against upward movement, and means for moving the top section to position above said trunnion.

15. A car dumper mounted in a railway bed including separated track sections and a pit between said track sections, a car supporting cradle having track rails carried thereon, means detachably supporting the cradle, normally with its ends adjacent to and in alignment with the rails of said track sections, a vertically movable lift device mounted below the longitudinal center of said cradle, means pivotally connecting the upper end of said lift device to one side of said cradle with the other side pivotally resting on a fixed support to permit the cradle to tilt transversely as the lift is initially elevated, horizontal and transverse aligned pivot means carried by said cradle, and intermediate one end of said cradle and its longitudinal center to permit the cradle to be rocked in a longitudinal vertical plane by further upward movement of said lift.

16. A car dumper mounted in a railway bed including 1 1 a separated track sections and a pit between said track sections, including cradle supporting pilasters, a car support ing cradle detachably resting on said pilasters to support the cradle with its rails in alignment with the rails of said track sections, a vertically movable lift device below the longitudinal center of said cradle, means for pivotally connecting the upper end of said lift device to one side of saidcradle to tilt the cradle transversely as the lift is initially elevated with the Weight of the lower side of the cradle carried by its corresponding pilasters, means sup- 10 1 2 of said cradle between its ends and its horizontal center to pivotally restrain either end of the cradle against upward movement and means for causing either'one of said pivot and guide means to become inoperative.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,803 Frauen Sept. 8, 1934 2,608,311 Findlay Aug. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 299,199 Great Britain ..'Oct'. 25, 1928 801,145 Germany Dec. 21, 1950 

